KONA, an interactive installation designed by third-year architecture students Avery Ross and Megan Sobkowich, will be showcased at the Forum at Fabrik in Cambridge’s Gaslight District. Inspired by the pinecone’s biological behaviors, KONA integrates kinetic opening and closing methods and radial organization into a modular and responsive architectural structure.
The installation features an eight-foot CNC-milled circular frame with internal plywood hinges and lightweight iridescent vinyl modules that fold in response to movement, enhancing lighting effects and visual depth. Integrated LED lights animate the installation, producing shifting visual effects that emphasize dynamism, material translucency, and spatial layering.
โThrough computational design, KONA demonstrates how natural systems can be abstracted into adaptable, architectural installations,โ said the designers. The project combines prototyping, digital fabrication, and analog crafting methods to produce an interactive exhibit.
KONA is funded by the Forum at Fabrik, which establishes an annual student design-build competition in collaboration with the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. The installation will be on display from February 25 to May 2026, and visitors are asked to RSVP through Eventbrite.
Image Courtesy: Cambridge Today
